Captured
by InuKagomeLuver4Eva
Summary: Young women have been kidnapped from their homes all over the Earth Kingdom. To rescue them, Team Avatar will need to find a creative way to infiltrate the black market operation. But when things go south, can they rescue the women in time and save their team member? Rated M for violence and some language. AangXKatara
1. Peaceful Summer Days Come to an End

**So, I was re-watching Avatar the Last Airbender, plus reading fanfiction, and got inspired to write another story. (I have a few other stories I have neglected… whoops. But they're old and will be deleted soon.) I may be a little rusty at this, so bear with me. I may update/correct the chapters as I continue with the story so be aware. Enjoy! *THIS HAS BEEN EDITED 12-7***

 **XoXoXo**

"Is this all of them? Seems the pickings are getting a little _sparse_ , Kaito."

"W-well, we've kidnapped so many girls already that the people have become suspicious; they're locking their young daughters up at night! If we start breaking down doors, the Earth kingdom will send the _entire army_ to find us!"

A loud bang resounded through the room, silencing the nervous voice. It was quiet for a tense moment, the air almost palpable. A strained sigh broke the tension.

"We'll have to do with what we have then. I suppose our most recent catch we got will make up for the lack of women. I hear she put up quite the fight,"

"Y-yes, she took out most of my men before we managed to subdue her. It seems she is a waterbender, a powerful one at that." A low whistle was let out as footsteps padded across the floor, the loose dirt shifting as they moved. "She lives up to her title, definitely a priceless item. Should fetch a high price, Zanui."

The man named Zanui merely let out a low chuckle. He walked towards a slumped woman against the wall, conjuring flames to illuminate the area. A blindfold was secured snugly around their head, blocking their surroundings, while their wrists were bound above their head by heavy metal chains attached to the wall. More chains were secured around their ankles, preventing any easy escape and limiting movement. Hay made a makeshift, albeit, uncomfortable cushion against the hard rock floor where the person currently sat. The outfit she was wearing had been switched out for a plain sleeveless dress, the color matching the dirt covered floors, and tied around the waist with thick coarse rope. The hairstyle had been altered as well; the rich brown locks that were tied in an elaborate traditional style now flowed in waves down her back, kept in place with a loose piece of ribbon at the base of her neck.

Crouching down, Zanui grasped the woman by a large handful of hair and jerked up to force her to look towards him. "She'll indeed fetch a good price; such an exquisite beauty from such a savage and primitive tribe. Dark skin, crystal clear blue eyes with such a fire in them. Strong body as well; perhaps, I may keep her to myself," He moved his thumb towards her mouth, pressing down on her bottom lip. Teeth suddenly clamped down on the appendage, causing the man to scream in surprise and jerk his hand backwards.

"I'll defeat you all before you have the chance to make _any_ profit off of me," The woman growled lowly, spitting towards the man before lunging forward, the chains clanking loudly as they were pulled taut. " _You won't get away with this!_ " Zanui examined his finger briefly before flicking it, blood splattering against the dirty hay. With a deep breath, his hand shot forward and latched around the woman's throat, lifting her into the air easily. A strangled gasp escaped before the fingers tightened around her neck, completely blocking her windpipe.

"Such a strong will, eh? Well, we'll break that soon enough, so I suggest you _behave_!" With flick of his wrist, he forcefully flung her back against the wall, a pained wheeze pushed from her lungs. The chains rattled loudly as she collapsed against the floor, coughing and gasping as much needed air filled her lungs.

"Z-Zanui, w-we shouldn't leave any m-marks on her, it would depreciate her value amongst the buyers…" Kaito stuttered as he looked back at the girl, averting his eyes from the towering man walking past him. Heat suddenly exploded near his hand and he screamed in horror as the entirety of his hand burst into flames, the smell of burnt flesh filling the air. As quickly as it appeared, it vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving behind deeply burnt skin that oozed blood.

"I suggest next time you hold your tongue unless you want that burned as well," Zanui snarled, his lip curling upwards.

He didn't have time to waste with this idiot, he had a whole shipload of women to sell off to private sellers in the Fire Nation. It had taken weeks, even months, to achieve such a large stock of beautiful women. His men had scoured even the most remote parts of the Earth Kingdom in search of inventory. Of course, the families had tried to fight back against the kidnappers, and very few had succeeded, until a fire 'accidentally' burned them to death. There was no remorse, of course. Zanui was a business man and ultimately, in order to get what he needed, drastic measures had to be taken to get it.

Controlling the flame on his hand, the man began making his way down the dark and abandoned mine shaft, taking specially marked pathways that led to the main prisoner hold a little deeper within the abandoned mine. Any man he passed abruptly stopped what they were doing to clasp their hands and bow, fearful of their powerful leader as he walked by. It had only taken one crew member to screw up to prove how ruthless Zanui was; the man was carrying supplies that were stacked way too high, and as he turned a corner, ran straight into the gang's leader. As soon as he looked up from his spot on the ground to see who he had hit, the blood rushed from his face, and he began slamming his head into the ground, begging for forgiveness. With a snap of his fingers, Zanui set the man ablaze, forcing every other man to watch as the man writhed in agony before ultimately curling up and dying a painful death.

Zanui smiled as the memory came to mind. After that day, no crew member dared to disrespect him or his direct commands. The feeling of power could sometimes be overwhelming, the firebender admitted, though seeing the fear in people's faces is what he _lived_ for, what he _craved_ so deeply. The pathway suddenly widened as he entered a large cavern carved within the center of the mine. Decades ago, the mines had been abandoned due to multiple casualties as parts of the paths had collapsed, scaring the miners away. Now, it held all 49 of his female prisoners, some taken as far away as the Western Earth Kingdom, an isolated part of the country some thought perished long ago during the 100 Years War. Though the War ended barely two years ago, thanks to the Avatar. The smile slipped from his face and settled as a scowl at the thought of how the young Avatar had single-handedly ended the war by just removing Fire Lord Ozai's (or rather, he called himself the Phoenix King) bending permanently. Since then, the Avatar had collaborated with Fire Lord Zuko to restore balance to the four nations and begin a new state known as the Republic.

"Boss Zanui, we've secured all of the women for transport. It'll take us about a day or so to load them up and get enough supplies to last us the trip back to the Fire Nation. Then it should take about two weeks, weather permitting. We've scheduled a stop just a few days from the drop off location to refuel and restock on supplies." A large, burly man turned and bowed at Zanui as he spoke, a clipboard in his hand. Behind him men scurried about, hurrying to finish preparations for the long trip. Zanui nodded and waved the man away to finish his work. Standing in the center of the room, he slowly eyed his prizes, sweeping over their faces and bodies, calculating a price for each head. As the numbers added up, the grin on his face grew with the total price. Of course, he couldn't calculate for the waterbender, but she was sure to fetch a price worth _at least_ the value of 10 normal women. He would live well after this auction, to say the least.

Throwing his arms wide, he began to laugh; gradually the other men caught on and joined in, the room suddenly roaring with malicious laughter. "Men! After this auction, we'll be living like KINGS! No more squalling in alleys, no more searching through rubbish bins! Forget those flimsy hay beds on the cold, hard ground! Once we sell off these 'assets', we will rule the black market of the Earth Kingdom!"

As the men cheered and celebrated, Zanui had already devised a plan for the fate of his 'special' possession. He would make her his own, no matter how ruthless the manner he used to do it.

*4 Days Earlier*

Appa grunted as he veered to the right, preparing to land in a spot he knew all too well in the city of Ba Sing Se. Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Toph had reunited for a very special occasion happening at the Jasmine Dragon tea shop. Though they had separated to move on with their own lives and pursue their dreams, they soon found themselves reunited once more. Toph had been out creating a Metalbending school after Ozai had been defeated and things had calmed down for a while and currently had a small cluster of students she was commanding over. Rather, "Lily-livers" is what she preferred to call them. Sokka had left to meet up with his father and learn more of the Southern Water Tribe battle tactics and to help out with the village back home. Meanwhile, Katara and Aang continued to travel across the nations, heeding to peoples calls of help from every direction while also meeting frequently with Fire Lord Zuko and Earth King Kuei to help establish and build a new nation called the Republic. While Aang took care of the major meetings with Zuko, Katara had become the unofficial ambassador of the Air Nation and met with smaller nations and councils to fill in for Aang's absence.

While Toph had chosen to Earthbend her way to the city, Sokka had eagerly joined Aang and Katara as they flew past his rendezvous point, just a day's worth of travel from Ba Sing Se. Though he quickly realized he would have to put up with Aang and Katara's sickening affection for one another, even going so far as to say it gave him the 'oogies'.

"It's been a while since we've been to the city, I'm sure it's changed a lot." Katara commented as Appa landed, gratefully taking Aang's hand as he airbended them gently to the ground. Just two years ago, the young, goofy kid Katara and Sokka had found in the iceberg had gone from being a 12-year-old Avatar-in-training, to a full-fledged Avatar, master of all four elements. Of course, in the span of 2 years, all of them had grown in more than one way. Aang and Katara had finally gotten together and had been nearly inseparable since that night in Ba Sing Se after the war was ended and Zuko was appointed Fire Lord. Aang had even grown taller, now slightly taller than Sokka and with a more adult frame to match. Sokka had become the strategical planner for the Southern Water Tribe army, constantly departing from the team to help rebuild cities and towns that had been affected by the war. Toph, of course, had her Metalbending school and was busy training her students the art of Metalbending. Though, after hearing some stories, they weren't as good as she had hoped.

"Thank the Spirit's we're here! I can't handle any more of your oogies!" Sokka grumbled as he slid from Appa's saddle, landing painfully on his rear. Aang offered him a hand up and pulled him to his feet.

"Oh, come on, it's no different when you're with Suki!" Katara shot back as she helped unload the rest of the supplies. With the help of Aang, the two lowered the heavy bison saddle to the ground, Appa shaking his fur out in relief.

"I'm your older brother, I'm allowed to do stuff like that! Besides, I have to keep you two in line! I'm watching you, Aang!" Sokka motioned with two fingers from his eyes to Aang, his eyes wide and eyebrows raised nearly to his hairline for emphasis.

"Relax, Sokka, I will stay respectful of Katara's boundaries and would never force her to do anything she didn't clarify. Monks honor," The Avatar closed one fist and placed his open palm facing sideways on top before bowing slightly, honoring his traditions and teachings. Katara just rolled her eyes at her brother before grabbing Aang and kissing him hard, just to annoy her brother.

"KATARA! Seriously, you guys give me serious OOGIES!" Boomerang man screamed before storming off, throwing his hands in the air. Both Katara and Aang snickered, wrapping their arms around each other lovingly.

"He does know we've been dating for two years, right?"

"It'd be interesting to see how long he can keep this up, but knowing him, it will take probably half of his life to get over it." The couple giggled again before sharing a much softer kiss. The moment was short lived though when the ground began to shake, gradually at first until both benders jerked apart, the ground beginning to split beneath them. With a loud boom, the rock burst open, debris raining down over them.

"Aang, what's going on?!" Katara cough as she tried to fan away the cloud of dust blocking her vision.

"It seems an old friend decided to pop up," The dust was dissipated as a strong blast of air forced it away, revealing a rounded pedestal with a smirking earthbender standing proudly on top.

" _You're_ the old one, Twinkletoes, last I checked I wasn't 115 years old."

The two friends embraced, not having seen each other for months. Katara grabbed Toph afterwards, nearly squeezing the life out of the prestigious bender.

"Easy, Sugar Queen, or you'll squish me to death." Toph groaned as she tried to push the waterbender back. The two girls quickly began to talk about their experiences over the past few months, sharing stories, or in Toph's case, complaining about her students.

"I'll catch up to you guys in a few minutes, I'm just going to get Appa settled for the night." Aang called out, waving them off while he airbended the large saddle towards the designated barn specially designed for the massive bison. Appa grunted as he followed his master, searching for hay to devour. Once he was settle and munching on a large pile of hay, Aang gave him a goodnight scratch, the Avatar headed towards the Jasmine Dragon. They had all been sent invitations to Iroh's birthday celebration, something they were unable to attend last year due to unrest throughout the state.

Aang walked through the massive jade green doors to the teahouse, the strong aroma of tea giving him a sense of peace and comfort. The room was filled to the brim with people, all talking excitedly and enjoying steaming cups of tea.

"Avatar Aang! Glad you could make it!" Iroh's booming voice called from the center of the room, drawing everyone's attention to the Avatar. "Come in, come in! I have the perfect tea for you to try!" The old man quickly met Aang halfway across the room, a steaming cup of tea in his hands. Bowing, the airbender graciously accepted the cup before bringing it to his lips. The aroma alone smelled intoxicating, yet when the tea met his tongue, it was like a completely different brew. A subtle hint of green tea with mixes of honey, jasmine, and … lemon?

"This is amazing, Iroh! I've never had such an amazing tea! You've really outdone yourself with this." Iroh blushed at the compliment before belting out a hearty laugh, patting Aang on the shoulder.

"You sure know how to make an old man blush! Why don't you go join your friends, I'll brew some more tea for you to taste." While he bustled back to the kitchen, Aang spotted the rest of his friends sitting at a large table near the corner. Making his way over to them, despite being stopped by most people on the way anxious to meet the Avatar, he took a seat next to Katara, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Toph was just explaining how she was training her students. It sounds grueling," His girlfriend filled him in quickly. The group soon fell into complete comfort, laughing and enjoying one another like old times. Zuko arrived a little later, looking tired but seeing his friends seemed to wipe it from his face. He and Aang chatted for a while, avoiding work sensitive information, and were planning the next meeting when the cake was brought out shortly after. Everyone wished Iroh luck for the next year with health and prosperity, singing a traditional celebration song.

The party began to wind down as most people left for the evening, leaving just Team Avatar, Zuko and Iroh to reminisce about the past. It had been just a few hours since they arrived, but it felt like they had been there merely minutes.

"How have things been going with being Fire Lord, Zuko? Have any colonies been giving you trouble?" Aang asked his former enemy. It had been more than a few months since he had been to the Fire Nation, what with being called to all over the Earth Kingdom and various parts of the Northern and Southern Water Tribes.

Zuko dragged a hand down his face, the exhaustion clear. "There have been some small uprisings, but nothing we couldn't handle. For the most part, everything has been smoothing itself out with very few issues." Aang nodded in agreement. He had gotten various updates from Zuko, but he hadn't heard anything for the past few months since he and Katara had visited the Southern Air Temple for a few weeks to try and rebuild it.

"Ah, that reminds me, Aang," Iroh cut in, his joyous expression replaced with a serious one. "There have been rumors that young women have been kidnapped from all over the Earth Kingdom, even some here in Ba Sing Se." Everyone fell quiet at the news. Women being kidnapped? Why hadn't the Earth King written a letter to the Avatar?

"Uncle, when did all of this start? I haven't heard anything about it."

"Rumor is, it's been going on for a few weeks, if not longer. The only reason it has become largely known is due to a few of the parents of the kidnapped girls surviving the raids. Though shortly afterwards, there was always a freak accident involving fire."

"There's no way that's an accident; those men were silencing any witnesses of their kidnapping." Toph ground out from her spot, unseeing eyes narrowing in disgust.

"Iroh, have there been any recent kidnappings around this area? Maybe we can try to find some information from the townspeople." Katara offered, a fire burning in her piercing blue eyes. Kidnapping people was disgusting to begin with, but burning their families because they had tried to defend their child? It burned a rage throughout her body, fingers itching to water whip those thugs across the face. Aang felt the rage radiating off of his girlfriend and felt his own swell. He rested a hand against her back, letting her know he felt the same way.

"Hmm, I haven't heard anything specific, but maybe you should ask the Earth King, I'm sure he would have some information for you." The old man thoughtfully brushed his beard, "But for now, I think it's time for us to get some rest. You have all travelled far and must be tired. I have some spare rooms you can use for the evening."

Everyone murmured agreements before saying their goodnights. Katara and Toph would share a room while Aang, Sokka, and Zuko shared another. Though they had all gone to their rooms and settled into bed, two minds raced from the information they received tonight. Sokka and Toph had passed out the second they hit the beds, but Katara and Aang were wide awake. Tomorrow they would head to the Palace and speak with King Kuei in hopes of solving this mystery. They only wished they had heard of the news sooner… before any more lives were lost.

~End Chapter 1~

 **I hope you guys enjoyed it! I'm rusty at this so feedback would be appreciated! I'll get started on the next chapter in the next few days. Thanks! *THIS CHAPTER WAS EDITED 12-7***


	2. A New Threat

**Second chapter, here we go! It took me about 3-4 hours on the first chapter because I kept going back and changing the word play lol and may still do so. Always struggled with that. Oh well, you can only improve from where you were. Enjoy!**

 **XoXoXo**

Aang inhaled deeply before slowing releasing the breath, his mind clearing. He sat perfectly still on a large rock in the small garden behind Iroh's tea shop, taking in the tranquility of the early morning. The news of the missing girls had shaken everyone to the core, a crime rarely heard of, yet it hit the Avatar the hardest. He was the peace keeper between nations and the barrier between the Spirit World and this one. But he had been too busy trying to resurrect the world as a safer place, that he had neglected helping the people within that world. Conflict swirled within his mind, cracking his concentration and with a sigh, he fell backwards onto the pure white sand swirled around the garden rocks and trees. The sun had just begun to peak over the city, the cool night giving way to another torturous summer. Spring had come and gone with a blur, as had a lot of the past few years, and Aang couldn't help but reminisce about the days back at the Southern Air Temple. He could smell the honeysuckles and jasmine bushes as they began to bloom, the fruit trees with their flowers wilting as fruit grew from the remains. He could hear the other children running around and playing air ball or flying around on their gliders. A tiny Appa popped into his memories and he couldn't help but smile. Appa had always been there for him, through thick and thin. He felt bad for the sky bison; Appa had been frozen with him for 100 years, missing out on adventures and a lot of his life.

A slight tremor in the ground caused the Avatar to crack an eye open, feeling the sensation pulse through his body, entering through his palm against the ground. Although he was sprawled out on sand, it was easy figuring out who it was as he knew those footsteps anywhere.

"You can come over, Katara, I'm done meditating," Aang spoke before closing his eye once more, feeling the sun finally reaching his face. He heard the sand shifting beneath her feet before she stopped. The sand around him shifted slightly as she sat down, something clinking as she settled.

"I figured you were done, what with you sprawled out like a pig-chicken," Katara teased. Sifting through the basket she had brought out with her, the waterbender pulled a plate full of fresh fruit and set it next to her boyfriend before indulging in her own plate. Aang pushed himself up into a sitting position, his stomach growling loudly. "I knew I should come prepared, there's some steamed tofu and bean sprouts if you're still hungry." After Aang had stuffed some fruit into his mouth, he leaned over and kissed Katara on the cheek, his face looking like a chipmunk-squirrel.

"Thank you, Katara. I needed some food," As he kept stuffing the delicacies in his mouth, he noticed his girlfriend looked a little worse for wear. Her hair wasn't braided but it was hanging loose with it tied back at the base of her neck. The two strands of hair that normally framed her face, her 'hair-loopies', were braided and merged with the loose hair at the tie. Dark bags were under her eyes and she looked exhausted. Of course, Aang wasn't looking so bright and perky either. His mind had raced all night about the missing girls. Meditating hadn't helped much, and he debated going into the Spirit World to talk with his predecessors, but it was unlikely they would have an answer for him, or at least, the answer he was looking for.

"I take it you didn't sleep well either?" Katara spoke softly, snapping his attention back to her.

"I couldn't stop thinking about those girls, about how their families were destroyed just for defending their own child," Aang replied sorrowfully, his heart aching for the families struggling. "Maybe we should consult with King Kuei, he might have an idea of what's going on."

"It's possible, but I wouldn't get your hopes up too high, I get the feeling he won't have as much information as we'd like, Aang. I've been thinking of ideas all night, but some of them are…"

"Dangerous?" Aang finished for her, already not liking where this conversation was going. Although Sokka _was_ the go-to plan guy, something as big as this just wasn't possible to rush head on into a possibly large, ruthless gang so any ideas were a gamble at this point. It could take _weeks_ to plan out their patterns, habits, locations, if there were any connections to certain cities or areas…

"I have one idea… but you aren't going to like it…" Aang tensed up at her words, a sinking feeling forming in the pit of his stomach. "It's really risky, even with our previous battle experiences. I haven't gone over it with Sokka, but I already know what he's going to say. And I know what you'll say as well," Katara looked at him from the corner of her eye, judging his reaction. Trying to calm his mind down, Aang released a heavy breath before closing his eyes, bracing for the idea.

"I'm ready to hear it, Katara. But if a better, _safer_ , plan can be made, I would prefer to go with that." Opening his eyes, he turned and looked into her sharp blue ones, giving a small nod for her to continue. Katara grasped his hand, squeezing firmly on it before continuing.

"Well, we know they're going after young women, probably the more beautiful the better, so… what if we set a trap up for them? Using me as a bait to lure them out into the open and then –"

"Katara, that's WAY too dangerous! What if something goes wrong, what if I can't protect you? I'm afraid if something happens, I may lose control and go into the Avatar State!" Katara watched as he became flustered, vehemently shooting down her plan. She _knew_ it was dangerous, even for powerful benders such as themselves, but what other option was there to rescue the kidnapped women? This mission was going to be dangerous no matter how they looked at it. If it came down to it, she would surrender herself for the sake of the other women. If there were people who needed her, she would never turn her back on them, no matter the situation.

"Aang, it's just an idea. I'm sure Sokka can come up with something safer than that. I knew it was a dangerous idea, which is why I hesitated to tell you. I knew you wouldn't react well to it." She placed a hand against his cheek. "We have to rescue those women, Aang, they're in danger and who knows where they've been taken. We can discuss it later with Sokka and Toph, alright? But for now, I think we should get ready and head to see King Kuei."

"You're right, Katara, I'm sorry for getting upset about it. I just… don't want to see you get injured, I wouldn't be able to handle it if you got hurt because I couldn't save you." Aang took her face in his hands before bringing his lips to hers. They released after a few minutes, staring into each other's eyes. Katara's face softened and a small smile graced her lips.

"Why don't we finish up breakfast and head inside? Toph and Sokka should be getting up soon enough," Aang nodded in agreement and soon they had both finished their meals, satisfied with the food. Katara had packed everything back up neatly and stood up before she saw the mischievous glint in Aang's eye. Knowing that look, she readied herself in a battle stance, a sly grin gracing her lips.

"Last one inside is a hog-monkey?" Sand rained down as the two took off, laughing as blasts of air and water soared through the air.

XoXoXo

King Kuei groaned as he slid down his throne, the back of his eyes pulsing painfully. Bosco, his bear best friend, grunted at the king, nudging his hand. Kuei scratched the bear absentmindedly, mind preoccupied on the meeting going on in front of him. Well, _meeting_ was a strong word… it was more like an all-out shouting match between children at who's plan of action was better. It had been going on for the past 10 minutes and frankly, the king was growing weary of it. A representative from the Fire Nation had arrived early in the morning for a scheduled meeting with the Earth Kingdom, entering the room while King Kuei's top generals were laying out multiple options for rebuilding the nation and preserving the colonies along the long conference tables. But as soon as the Fire Nation representative spotted a plan that would disrupt his people's colonies, the shouting began. The meeting hadn't been anything other than disruptive and the king was beginning to get a headache. With a dark thought, the king momentarily considered sending Bosco after them, but he quickly dismissed that idea. Bosco was a very kind and loving bear who would never harm a human. Maybe the Dai Li? That would be last resort, of course, if things got violent.

The large doors creaked open, briefly halting the two bickering generals. A messenger quickly walked to the center of the room before bowing, the tiny hat on his head nearly falling from his head.

"My king, the Avatar has requested an audience with you at your soonest convenience. Shall I escort him in?" King Kuei could barely contain his excitement. Finally! He got a break from the arguing!

"Of course, of course! Fire Nation General Fu Tauon, General Tien Min, if we may continue this after a short break? I'm afraid I must attend to other business at the moment." Both men looked at each other, more like scowled, but bowed respectfully before continuing their arguments, albeit more quietly, as they shuffled from the room. Kuei reminded himself to chastise both men later.

The messenger quickly bowed before hurrying from the room to usher the guests in. King Kuei watched with gleaming eyes as the Avatar entered the room alongside with his friends. Standing with his arms wide, the king beamed down at the group.

"Avatar Aang and friends! Welcome back to the Earth Kingdom! How have things been for you these past few months?"

Aang bowed respectfully to the king, as did the others apart from Toph, beaming back just as much.

"Things have been well, your highness, thank you. I hear you've been trying to reorganize the Earth Kingdom."

"Ah, well, unfortunately plans have become a bit side-tracked at the moment, but they'll get back on track soon! But enough about that, what can I help you with, Avatar?"

The group shared a look before Katara stepped forward, her hands clutched against her chest as she hesitantly approached.

"Your highness, there have been rumors about women all over the Earth Kingdom being kidnapped. We were wondering if you had possibly heard anything about the disappearances?" The grin on the kings face suddenly dropped, his face becoming serious. The atmosphere became heavier in the blink of an eye. The king let out a heavy breath as he sat back on his throne and hunched over, his hands crossing beneath his chin.

"I have heard rumors of such a despicable thing happening within my kingdom. It greatly pains me to see my people losing their children so violently. Some of my men have even heard stories about families who have succeeded in preventing their daughters' kidnapping, but by daylight they were found to have been burned to death within their homes." The king briefly closed his eyes, brow furrowing as if deep in thought. "I have tried to send a small platoon to hunt down those monsters, but barely one third of my men returned, the others having been killed or captured by those _thugs_."

"Your highness, would it be possible to see the reports your men made? We'd like to get as much information on them as possible in order to figure out where they'll strike next and crush them before they see what hit them." Sokka emphasized his statement by punching his palm. Toph let out a small snicker before adding, "Or what they _didn't_ see!"

"Ah, the reports? They should be somewhere in the records hall. I'll have one of my men bring out every file regarding that case. We've been monitoring the situation for a few weeks now, just after it started to become a more pronounced issue. Even after investigating and trying to plan their movements, we just _can't seem to figure them out_. Why would they need these women? What are they doing with them? According to one of my Dai Li, the leader of the group, a man named Zanui? He seems to be a very powerful, ruthless firebender. But there's something off about him,"

"Something off?" Aang inquired, curious about this powerful bender. King Kuei nodded solemnly.

"My agents tell me he seems to possess some sort of…hypnosis, I suppose. They watched as he easily lured the women to him, though I'm afraid I don't have much more information on him apart from that. Possibly there is something in the library about his past, but it could take days to find his name, if there is anything related to him within the room. You and your friends are more than welcome to search any and all documents I have regarding the matter. If needed," King Kuei added, "I can arrange some rooms for you if you have nowhere to stay on your trip."

"That's very generous of you, King Kuei, we would like to accept your offer for rooms. If you need anything at all, don't hesitate to ask." Aang placed his palm against his first and bowed. King Kuei let out a small laugh.

"There is no need to be so formal, Aang, we are all good friends here. But if the need arises, I shall be requesting your assistance. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have two _children_ to attend to. Good day, Avatar." Once the two groups had gone their separate ways, Team Avatar began to search for clues in a large meeting room they were guided to. There were large shelves of books and files stacked nearly 20 feet tall in neat rows throughout the room. On the far side, a fireplace was crackling gently while providing warmth to the large stone room.

Neatly lined along one table was a small stack of papers and a thin book. Katara carefully picked up some of the papers, holding them up to see them a little better. On the first one was a crude drawing of what she supposed was the leader of the group. Though, he looked more like the terrible drawing Sokka did of Zuko. "Hey, Sokka, this looks like your drawing of Zuko from two years ago! See? He even has the spiky hair!" Katara showed Aang and the two burst out laughing as Sokka marched over and snatched the paper, complaining that his drawing looked better than that child's scribbles. Toph sensed her way to a chair before plopping down in it heavily and kicked her feet up onto the table. It was going to be a long day of information studying, so she made herself comfortable and began picking the crud out from in between her toes.

~End~

 **End! Yay! This one is a little shorter, about 800 words shorter, but that's okay. I've had two good reviews already and I can't wait to see what you guys think of this chapter! Be warned, I may go back and redo the first chapter, or any chapter really, at any time if I feel the need to make it better. Thanks for reading!**


	3. Danger Approaches

**Thanks so much for the reviews, guys! They feed me while I slave away from a few hours on these chapters lol. So just a quick update on my other stories; they will be deleted by Monday! I will still have the files on my laptop, but for the time being I am removing them from . Hopefully one day I will bring them back, edited of course, but for now they will go into hiding for a while. Enough of that though, let's get on with the story! *Sorry for the delay, just bought Red Dead Redemption 2 lol been taking my life up with chasing trains and robbing people.**

 **XoXoXo**

Six men walked down the desolate dirt road, hoods pulled low over their faces as the high sun bore down on them. They had been wandering since before the break of dawn, their goal just up ahead in a small village known as Renjishu Valley. It was a town nestled in the valley between two large mountains, the large foreboding formations offering nearly full protection from both elements and intruders. Merchants passed by slowly with full carts of exported goods, though most of it seemed to be junk. One of the men stopped and turned to the nearest cart, eyeing it with interest. A cloaked arm shot out and grabbed the other man shaking his head; they had a bigger target.

They arrived shortly in the village just before sundown, the summer heat giving way to refreshing cool temperatures. Renjishu Valley was abuzz with activity and lights and large crowds of villagers. A large banner across the gate entrance said, 'Renjishu Annual Beautiful Women Festival!' in bright red ink. One man from the group stepped forward and eyed the banner carefully before searching the area. Guards were stationed at the entrance, earthbenders from what he could see. There were bound to be more throughout, as well. It wouldn't be easy getting in.

"How will we get in, boss? It's heavily guarded throughout the whole place. We only have 3 earthbenders with us and the rest are firebenders awaiting your order in the tree line. Jingo can see if there's a way to bend us behind a house within the village, but the guards would surely notice." One of the cloaked men whispered to the man searching the crowd. There were enough people entering the village that their group would barely be noticeable, but the risk was too great. The leader pulled his gaze away from the crowds to the merchants entering the city. Sure, there were checkpoints and carriage searches, but if they hid themselves well enough…

Without a word he turned and walked towards one of the slower merchant carts making its way into the city. It was an older man, possibly nearing the end of his life from the looks of him, that had a wagon full of large, decorative vases. He was a good distance from the checkpoint, so moving quickly, the men snuck to the back of the wagon. Climbing in quickly, they removed the lids from the vases and slid in, carefully replacing them once they were settled. It was almost certain they would search the vases closest to the back, so each member hid as close to the front as possible without alerting the driver. Although, he was probably old enough to be deaf as well.

"Papers, please," A guard stopped the carriage as another began walking around back to search. The old man held a hand to his ear, indicating he didn't hear the man. "Sir, _**papers**_ _,_ _ **please**_ ," The guard spoke louder, annunciating each word. After a minute of silence, the vendor finally figured out what was being asked of him and slowly reached in to his pocket to retrieve his paperwork and shakily hand it to the guard. The earthbender checking the back of the carriage began lifting lids up randomly, checking for hidden contraband or stowaways. One of the men in the jars slightly shifted, nearly unnoticeable, and the guard searching immediately halted mid lid lifting. Was it just him being paranoid or did that sound like something, or _someone_ , moving inside a vase? Carefully bending the lid to hover at shoulder level, the guard raised his other hand, eyeing the vases carefully.

"Everything alright back there, Shen?" The guard up front yelled around the carriage, wanting a status update. Shen suddenly thrust his fist forward, causing a vase to shatter violently as the lid slammed into it. Dirt and clay flew everywhere, and a shard of clay whizzed dangerously close to the old man. "Shen! What the hell are you doing?! Sir, I apologize, we will clean this up immediately!" The front guard shouted, bowing profusely to the old man who didn't even seem to realize what was going on around him.

Shen waited until the dust cleared before noticing the vase was filled with nothing but dirt. He swiftly earthbended the dirt up and out of the carriage before tossing it to the side of the road. His supervisor stormed around the back of the carriage, ready to berate his subordinate's ear off.

"Shen! You've been warned about destroying property! I'm going to have to put you on suspension! Send the old man through and get me someone _competent_ to check merchandise!"

The carriage lurched forward as it proceeded through the checkpoint. The 6 men breathed sighs of relief. That was too close for comfort. After a few minutes of bumpy riding, the carriage came to a halt. The seat creaked as the old man slowly made his way from his seat, grunting as he landed.

"Alright Pumpernickel, you rest easy for a while. I'm going to go enjoy the beautiful women! Heh heh," The old man patted his ostrich-horse on the head before hobbling off in search of the women. Once everything was quiet for a few minutes, the men slowly began to emerge from the vases, remaining stealthy as they surveyed the area. The cart seemed to be behind a large warehouse that held chicken-ducks. Bright lights shone towards the building, illuminating the alleyway and showing a handful of people lingering back a ways from the main crowd.

"Find where the women are getting ready and search for any exits from there to the edge of the city. Any guards by them, take them out quietly." The leader thrust his hand out, signaling the start of the operation. In a flash all men were gone without a trace and the man let out a devious grin. This would be their biggest haul yet, possibly their most valuable out of all the women captured so far. There were many buyers in the Fire Nation, but of course, only the finest would do for the right price. It had taken weeks to acquire nearly all of the women, although they were still shy of the fifty they needed. With these women, they were at forty-eight. Due to how fast news spread of the kidnappings, it was becoming more difficult to get away with it.

Walking towards the stage, the unknown man kept his hood low and veered around the guards, cautiously taking each step. He had evaded capture so far, but he wasn't about to push his luck now. Vendors had set up stalls on either side of the stage, lining up down the main roads of the village, yelling for customers to come try their moon peaches and crab cakes. One guy was offering cabbages, but clearly no one wanted plain cabbages. A small flash of bright light caught his eye and he grinned before slithering his way through the throngs of people, heading towards a building just behind and over from the large stage. He was impressed it took his men merely minutes to acquire the targets. He would be sure to reward them handsomely later on.

After slipping through another alley, he arrived at the back of the building where the signal was sent from. One of his men dropped down from the roof, landing as silent as a cat on to the dirt.

"All eleven women are accounted for, boss Zanui. They're pretty easy on the eyes, too," Zanui tilted his head in acknowledgement. The man continued on. "Ginbo has a tunnel already built that leads to the carriage awaiting within the forest, that's how we snuck them out. The announcer should be starting the show any minute, I suggest we leave now."

"Very well, excellent work, Tai Zu. All guards in the area taken care of?" A silent nod confirmed his question. "Then let's get this party started."

XoXoXo

A middle-aged man walked on to the stage and threw his arms out wide, a large grin on his face. "Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention!" The crows started dying down as they turned their attention to the announcer. "First and foremost, I want to thank those of you who helped put together this _wonderful_ festival for yet another year! This has become a sacred tradition for Renjishu Village, one that we are very proud to hold! Not to mention all of these beautiful women, of which 6 reside from this very village, have come to show the world what they're made of!" Cheers picked up along with a handful of men hooting and hollering, some even whistling. After motioning with his hands for the crowd to calm down, the announcer continued. "Keeping with tradition, we will have last years winner come up to the stage and announce the newcomers for this year! Let's give Ming Le a warm round of applause!"

The crowd roared in anticipation, the sound deafening. The man on stage held his arms out to show the former beauty queen as she arrived on stage. A lantern was moved to spotlight where she would enter but it only showed a suddenly confused announcer. Clearing his throat nervously, he chuckled before loosening his collar.

"Ms. Ming Le, please come up on to the stage!" The crowd began to die down and people began to murmur amongst themselves. Feeling the heat of the crowd, the announcer darted off stage and towards the back of the house that was used as the dressing room. Bursting through the back door, he was met with an empty room. Flabbergasted, the man tore around the room, uplifting furniture and tearing open doors in search of the girls. A cold chill ran down his spine and he paled instantly. He wasn't alone in the room.

"I'm afraid we've had a bit of a change of plans, Mr. Sung." A deep voice called from the other side of the room, causing Mr. Sung to go rigid. "You see, while you were too busy getting prepared for the show, you failed to notice one thing." Mr. Sung slowly turned around to face the intimidating voice, his hands shaking uncontrollably. Licking his lips, he opened his mouth to speak but all that came out was a squeak. Clearing his throat hastily, Mr. Sung puffed his chest out and straightened himself up, trying to seem unafraid.

"A-and what sir, w-would that b-be?" His teeth chattered violently as he spoke, his intimidation tactic crumbling to pieces. The man on the chair let out a hearty laugh, Mr. Sung flinching back. With a grunt, Zanui was on his feet, walking heavily over to the man whom he easily towered over. Leaning down close to the man, his lips slipped into a demonic grin as he whispered,

"You've practically invited us in with your posters," Sung nearly fainted at the words. How could he have been so _stupid_? He had sent men from the village to advertise the pageant to the surrounding cities, some going even as far as the edge of Ba Sing Se to deliver the posters. He never thought about the notorious gang receiving word and slipping in. "Now, of course you can blame yourself, because really it _is_ your fault for allowing those beautiful women to get captured. But then again, I should _thank_ you for inviting us in. You can take pride they'll be sold off to some fine gentlemen in the Fire Nation, where they'll be miserable for the rest of their lives." Zanui straightened back up and turned on his heel, heading for the door. Mr. Sung collapsed to the floor, shock coursing through his body and causing it to shut down. The footsteps suddenly stopped, and he weakly looked up to see Zanui facing him with his hand on his chin in thought.

"You know, I think I have _just_ the way to let the people know you've signed their death warrants."

XoXoXo

By now the crowd had become anxious and irritable. The announcer, Mr. Sung, had gone to check on the contestants, but had been gone for nearly 20 minutes now. Some restless people even decide to start small fights, shoving people into one another to feel the rush of adrenaline. The guards attempted to squash the fights, but only prevailed for a short while.

"Ladies and gentlemen, sorry to keep you waiting so long!" A deep voice boomed over the crowds, everyone falling silent almost instantly. Though murmuring began once they saw the stage was still empty. The lantern shifted upwards to reveal a person standing on top of the stage scaffolding, something wriggling behind him. "Unfortunately, Mr. Sung has become tied up with something and therefore cannot orchestrate the programming for the evening. But, not to fear, I have shown up in the nick of time to give you all a once-in-a-lifetime show!" The people seemed confused, but began to slowly clap, unsure of what was about to unfold.

Zanui smirked as he stared down at the idiotic villagers, all thinking they would see the show and go on their merry ways. Reaching behind him, he grabbed a tied-up Mr. Sung by the rope around his wrists and dangled him over the edge of the stage. Clapping quickly became screams of horror and shouts of disbelief as people watched with fearful eyes.

"I want you _lovely_ folks to know, that thanks to Mr. Sung here," He gave him a little wiggle to show the crowd he wasn't dead yet. "We, the Crimson Crusaders, have taken all of your beautiful women captive thanks to a lovely flier we found recently. Now, as a thank you gesture, I present to you," Zanui lit his palm on fire and faced it inches from Mr. Sung who was now unconscious. " _A flaming farewell!_ " An enormous plume of flames consumed Mr. Sung and he was swiftly dropped down to the stage, his flaming corpse landing just feet from spectators. As predicted, earthbenders quickly surround him, rocks raised and ready to launch at him. But Zanui just laughed and increased the flames around his body, a massive heatwave pushing the earthbenders stumbling backwards.

"I would tell you all to have a goodnight, but I'm afraid you'll be having a more _permanent_ slumber tonight." Buildings all across the town began to explode, flames shooting high in to the sky while massive rocks slammed over houses and barns. Try as they might, the earthbenders guarding the town were outnumbered and quickly found themselves in a losing battle as flaming rocks began to rain over the town. Some were crushed instantly under the flaming rocks while others burned to death within seconds. Zanui extinguished his flames before admiring his team's handiwork. There was no possible way for anyone to escape the town: he had firebenders and earthbenders perched upon the crests of the mountains on either side of the village, bombarding them left and right while any stragglers were quickly killed if they managed to leave the village.

He watched the village burn for another minute before turning and leaping from roof to roof, heading towards the main entrance where his team was waiting for him. The women had already been transported away before the excitement started so it was just a few of his men left to wait for him. As he landed on the dirt outside of the gate, he was greeted by the squadron leader who bowed respectfully before pulling his face mask down to speak.

"Boss Zanui, the women are secured and on their way to the base. Everything will be cleaned up here if you wish to leave."

"Excellent General Kenih, I leave everything in your hands." Kenih bowed once more before striking a burnt person, who had crawled out of the village, in the head with a rock. Zanui strolled away with his hands in his pockets, whistling a cheery tune. Oh yes, today was indeed a very good day.

He was looking forward to receiving his most valuable prize yet; the Avatar's girlfriend.

XoXoXoXo

DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUUUN! I seriously felt pretty evil writing this chapter, not gonna lie. Damn, intense chapter here, folks. So, you've seen a bit more into the life of the Crimson Crusaders gang (Lame name, couldn't think of anything else.) and just how they deal with people interfering with their line of work. Sorry it took so long on this one, as said above I got Red Dead Redemption 2 and have been having fun robbing people and running them over with my horse. I'll try to update the next chapter faster! Thanks!


	4. The Plan Begins

**Hey guys! Sorry for the "Chapter 4" update being on my other stories, I couldn't add it to my stories without categorizing it and blah blah blah. I do want to give a shout-out to those who have reviewed Captured! Thanks so much Ashley Barbosa and coolconnor95! Thanks for being awesome and loving my story! I'm getting excited just thinking about what to do next with the next few chapters. Mwuahahaha…. Anyways, let's GO! Sorry for taking so long!**

XoXoXo

Sokka groaned as his head hit the table, his brain officially turning into purple pentapus slime. They had been in the library two days now and had found nothing more than a slim history of the man name Zumba… or was it Zanfred? His head throbbed painfully as he tried to correctly remember the dudes name. Toph was asleep in the corner, snoring loudly as she laid rather ungracefully on a rock couch she bended. Aang had begun to get frustrated and had gone to the castle's garden to meditate and if it came down to it, enter the Spirit World to speak to his past lives. Katara had become ragged looking from having her nose to every book that mentioned his name. Her hair was frizzing up in every direction and the poor tie barely holding her hair back from exploding was straining to stay together. Dark circles dulled her piercing blue eyes as exhaustion settled in on her face, aging her appearance by a few years.

"Katara, my brain feels like Toph smashed it to a juicy pulp with a rock. Can we call it good for the day? We've found nothing new about this guy…" His sister sighed heavily, carefully shutting the book before leaning back in her chair. She stretched her arms high above the chair, grunting a little when her back popped into alignment.

"I hate to stop searching, but you two are lazing about and Aang and I are stretching ourselves too thin trying to find every little speck of information. We have a good sheet filled about what has been recorded and how he looks and acts. That should be enough for now." A knock on the door turned their attention towards the massive jade green doors as they opened a moment after.

"Ah, Katara, Sokka, how goes the searching?" King Kuei suddenly popped his head in, Bosco's head appearing right above his. It quickly dawned on the king that things weren't going so well, judging from the tired and frustrated faces. "I apologize if there isn't much information on Zanui, we just haven't gathered enough for there to be a plethora of information."

"No, what we have is quite enough to at least have a general idea of what to expect, King Kuei, but it's frustrating that we still don't have a way of tracking his movements or a pattern of his attacks." Katara wiped her face tiredly. The king nodded his head in agreement. He had sent Dai Li out to investigate any recent sightings or attacks, but very little information was coming back to him at the moment.

"You guys seem exhausted, why don't you spend the rest of the day at my private resort? It's the least I can do for you having saved my life years ago. I'll go tell Avatar Aang as well! I'll send someone to guide you there, it should only be a few minutes wait." Toph suddenly shot up from her makeshift bed, startling the three mildly.

"I could use a good back pounding, just as long as they don't touch my feet!"

King Kuei smiled grandly before slipping from sight, his trusty best friend right behind him, as he set off to get Team Avatar some rest and relaxation.

XoXoXo

Aang had given up on strictly meditating and instead began to contact his previous life, Roku, for advice by connecting his fists and focusing. A familiar ripple washed over him, and he opened his eyes to see his former life sitting just a few feet from him, a smile on his aged features. The area around them had been grayed out and only the two men glowed bright blue against the neutral background. It seemed that Roku was settled in a large field of grass this visit, instead of the two sitting somewhere in the vast Spirit World forests.

" _Aang, good to see you again. I can tell you are having a difficult time against a new enemy, correct?"_ The airbender nodded solemnly as he unclasped his hands and looked down at his palms, frustrated.

" _His name is Zanui and he's been capturing young women and destroying families in the process. We've been trying to research him but barely anything has come up. I've been so busy trying to rebuild the four nations, that I've forgotten about helping the people themselves."_ He clenched his palms shut, squeezing tightly. _"And Katara wants to use herself as bait to lure the kidnapper out, but what if she gets hurt? What if I lose control of my emotions and unleash the Avatar State? Roku, I_ _ **need**_ _your help."_

Roku closed his eyes and let out a heavy breath. It reminded him of a situation he was in many years ago, how difficult it was to make the decision and whether or not it was the right choice to make. He felt the anguish and fear Aang was feeling and couldn't help but let out a small grim smile. Opening his eyes, he saw his reincarnation looking at him with an annoyed and confused expression.

" _Aang, you reminded me of a heavy decision I had to make during my lifetime. Your past lives can only give you advice, but ultimately, you must make the correct choice. If this man has become an ultimate threat, he needs to be eliminated immediately. Your job is to not serve only as the balance between this world and the Spirit World, but also to serve as a peacemaker between nations and their people."_

" _Roku, you know I can't just take someone's life like that! I'm not a killer."_ Aang shot back defensively, his ethereal form standing up to loom over his previous life. Roku effortlessly stood up before stretching to his full height, standing a mere few inches above Aang.

" _Aang, at some point in your life, you_ _ **will**_ _have to make the ultimate decision on whether that person will continue to be a threat to the people. Your ability to remove bending abilities is indeed a great power, but that does not remove the person from still being a threat if left unattended. Former Phoenix King Ozai may be rotting in jail for the rest of his life without bending, but that does not rid him of his heinous thoughts or words. He can still spread his corruptions across the nations without so much as lifting a finger to do so. This is your decision to make, Aang, but know that with your decisions, there will be dire consequences."_

" _Roku! Wait -!"_ The blue ethereal form began to waver before vanishing without a sound, leaving Aang in the Spiritual Plane alone.

XoXoXo

The glowing arrows tattooed upon his body began to dim as his spirit was pulled back into the real world. Senses rushed back to him and he let out a strained sigh, running a hand over his bald head. He couldn't take someone's life, it wasn't as easy as Roku made it out to be. Some of his past lives had unintentionally killed people like Kyoshi who had separated the land between her and Chin the Conqueror, but the land beneath Chin had fallen away and the man swiftly fell to his death. Aang knew some of his past lives had taken lives, but he wasn't like them. Being an Air Nomad, he respected all life, even if those lives were corrupted and tainted the world. A voice cleared his scattered thoughts and he turned to see King Kuei walking towards him with Bosco on his heels.

"Aang! I've decided you and your friends need a break from researching, so I'm sending you to my private spa! Your friends are waiting in the main chamber," King Kuei shouted excitedly, waving his arms at the Avatar. Aang chuckled before airbending himself from the ground, landing gently on his feet.

"That sounds great, King Kuei! Thank you so much for the gesture," Aang pressed his palm against his fist and bowed. The king flapped away the gesture before motioning for him to quickly follow him.

"Don't worry about it, Aang, always happy to help a friend! And Bosco loves the company, don't you boy?" Bosco let out a little purr as Kuei scratched him under the chin. Aang ran his hand over the bears fur, surprised by how soft the coarse hair was. "I've got to get back to my meeting, but please take the day and enjoy yourselves! No use stressing yourself to pieces. We'll meet up again later tonight, Aang, enjoy the spa." A female attendant emerged from a large set of emerald colored doors and motioned for Aang to follow while King Kuei and Bosco diverted through another set of doors.

King Kuei had barely made it back to the throne room when the sound of the two generals bickering reached his ears. With a groan he walked into the room, catching the attention of the two generals.

"King Kuei, I _insist_ you find me a general who isn't a complete imbecile! I guarantee my plans will help both of our nations coexist peacefully, but your general here seems to vehemently disagree." Fu Tauon dismissively waved a hand at General Tien Min who looked about ready to blow his lid.

"I suggest you hold your tongue against my king, _ash maker_ , before I send you shooting out of those doors!" Tien Min snarled and slammed his fist against the table, sending papers flying everywhere.

"ENOUGH!" King Kuei snapped, his patience reaching its limit. The two generals startled before hastily getting to one knee, heads lowered. Kuei sighed heavily as he sat back down on his throne, brows furrowed in frustration. "Gentlemen, I _highly suggest_ you stop acting like children and work together to come up with a plan that works for everyone. All I've heard since this morning has been you two screeching at one another instead of _working together_ to create a peaceful nation. General Fu Tauon, I advise you to watch your tongue when it comes to my highest ranking general. You are a guest in my kingdom and I can revoke that in the blink of an eye." Fu Tauon muttered an apology and kept his head down, red tinting his cheeks. "General Tien Min, I want a report of policies you two have agreed upon. Readjourn back here within an hour, both of you, am I understood?"

"Yes, King Kuei."

"Yes, Your Highness."

As the two men left, King Kuei considered going to the spa himself to relieve the headache he had. Standing to do so, he made it three steps before a Dai Li agent silently appeared beside him, down on one knee and holding out a scroll.

"What's your report, Pactu?" Kuei asked with dread heavy in his chest. There must have been another attack…

"Your Highness, there was an incident in a town called Renjishu Valley last night. The Crimson Crusaders led the attack and kidnapped eleven women before burning the village to the ground. There are no known survivors." King Kuei grit his teeth as he unrolled the scroll, eyes hastily reading through the report. It seemed Zanui was in charge of the attack, even going as far as to use earthbenders from the sides of the mountains surrounding the village to do an aerial attack. Those villagers had no chance of surviving an onslaught such as that.

"How far away is the village from here?"

"Just a day away, your Majesty. We've bumped up security around the palace and upper ring of the city. We'll spot them if they make it into the city. I have a handful of agents scoping out the surrounding area of Renjishu Valley for signs of escape."

Kuei dragged a hand down his face, feeling decades older than he was. He was tempted to go get the Avatar and inform him immediately, but the child was stressed enough about everything else going on in the world. It was decided, he would allow them to come back refreshed and relaxed before breaking the news to them after dinner. Hopefully they could stop the fearsome gang before another woman was captured and more people killed senselessly.

XoXoXo

"Boss, we've got everything ready to head to Ba Sing Se." General Kenih announced as some men finished up loading the ostrich-horses with supplies. Zanui looked up from his plans neatly spread on a table and nodded. They would travel through the night and enter the city through the slums, acting as refugees coming from a far Fire Nation village that had been destroyed by a gang of thugs. Of course, everything sounded good, but knowing that the Avatar was most likely in the city made things difficult. If things got out of hand and he entered the Avatar State, Zanui could have his bending removed permanently or worse…be killed. But seeing as the Avatar was an Air Nomad, he doubted he would have the guts to kill anyone.

"Do we have the girls secured by the beach? It's going to have to be a fast escape from the Avatar and the Dai Li."

"Yes, we have about twenty men stationed with the women at all times. Most of them earthbenders and some firebenders. We've hired some local gangs to cause a distraction while we snatch the girl. Gotta tell ya, boss," Kenih suddenly looked nervous, his hand rubbing the back of his head. "I've seen the Avatar go nuts before and it's like he loses his mind. From what I heard about the Phoenix king, he couldn't even keep up with what the Avatar was throwing at him. All four elements are impossible to battle with just firebenders and earthbenders-"

Zanui fully stood from his position over the table and cracked his neck loudly before turning to face his general. Kenih went to get down on one knee but was stopped by the boss motioning for him to stand. Slapping a hand on the man's shoulder, Zanui began to walk him towards the awaiting men.

"Men, tomorrow we face a challenge greater than any other we've faced. Tomorrow, we face the _Avatar_!" There were some cheers, but others began to mutter amongst themselves quietly. With a hand raised, the crowd silenced. "Now, I understand there are some concerns with facing said Avatar. He is, of course, the master of all four elements. Earth. Water. Fire. Air. It is also known that once an Avatar goes into the Avatar State, they can control all four elements at once. You're probably thinking, 'Well, if he can use all four elements at once, how can we defeat him?' Kenih here has expressed his concerns for that."

"But boss, what happens if we encounter the Avatar? I've heard he can take away bending forever." One man piped up nervously, wringing his hands tightly. Zanui rolled his eyes at the question. How he _hated_ that the Avatar got to decide who had bending abilities and who didn't.

"My trusty and loyal men, I wouldn't dream of putting you in the Avatar's way, knowing full well you'd have your bending stripped away from you in a matter of seconds. But fear not, I have a plan. What the Avatar _doesn't_ know, is that I inherited a powerful technique from a wise young woman living the rest of her days from behind bars. Now, I can't reveal to you what technique this is, but just know that it will lead us to victory!"

The men cheered and hollered, their morale back up and fighting spirit roaring to go. Zanui patted Kenih on the shoulder before releasing him. He smirked at the thought of what incredible power lay within him. He had searched for weeks for the young woman and finally found her in a prison wrapped up entirely in a straight jacket. Her black disheveled hair enhanced the craziness in her golden eyes, but behind that there was a devious mind already turning. Once he brought up his proposition, sans guards of course as they were unconscious, she immediately agreed. She too had a grudge against the Avatar and friends, even retelling the story of how she zapped her brother in the chest before being restrained by the waterbender who traveled with Aang.

" _There's something I want you to do for me in return. The girl, Katara, I want you to break her spirit and have the Avatar watch as you torture her. It'll send his emotions into a rage and unleash his Avatar State. When he's distracted, you'll know what to do. Now, follow my instructions and you'll be an expert in no time."_

Zanui had visited her multiple times in order to correctly learn the positions to the powerful technique. And once he had mastered it, with plenty of practice on unsuspecting villagers of course, the woman had decided he'd had enough and sent him away. As he hit the doorway, he looked over his shoulder back at her, arms pinned and strapped to the chair.

" _What's your name?"_ The woman just began laughing hysterically, rocking back and forth in her chair, the legs chained to the floor clinking loudly. Stopping bent forward, she looked up at him through her black locks with piercing gold eyes.

" _You'll know it as soon as you use that technique. Would hate the spoil all of the fun!"_

Zanui clenched his fist and felt the power surging within his body, the hair on his arms standing tall. Now he was the most powerful firebender in all of the Earth Kingdom. No, possibly even all of the Fire Nation as well. Fire Lord Zuko was a coward who had lost his will to fight with anger, instead choosing to command his army to do his bidding. He had become even more of a disgrace to his country, trying to promote peaceful cooperation between nations so they could come together as one in a new nation called the Republic.

Spitting the bad taste from his mouth, Zanui turned back to his crew. They were saddled up and ready to leave. Just to confirm their stories, the men had already changed into Fire Nation rags and skipped bathing for a few days. Disgusting, yes, but all the more to convince the officials in Ba Sing Se that they were truly refugees. If it came down to it, they could bend themselves out of a situation, but that would only draw unnecessary attention to themselves. They couldn't risk drawing attention at the wrong time, especially with Dai Li roaming around. After last nights events, he wouldn't be surprised if Dai Li were swarming the upper rings of the city. If that were the case, they would need to draw attention away from the higher levels and down to where they could catch the Avatar off-guard.

"Boss, we're ready to move out," Kenih handed over the reins to one of the ostrich-horses fitted with Zanui's saddle. Taking the worn leather in his hands, he gazed over his men, each one ready to fight for their prize. Raising the reins high, Zanui let out a battle cry.

"Men! Tomorrow we take the highest trophy of our lives! Be proud of the blood that runs through your veins and let no one tell you how to live your life. Tomorrow, we take on the Avatar! For the Fire Nation! For the Earth Kingdom!"

The men screamed their battle cries before kicking into gear, dust stirring up as the animals charged forward. As his men took off, Zanui couldn't help but admire their stupidity. The fools didn't realize their lives meant nothing to him, they were merely pawns on his Pai Sho board. Each life was disposable, and men had died for his quest to glory before. His main crew was back on the ship, waiting for his arrival with the Avatar's girlfriend, the final woman promised to the secret buyers. Only known to General Kenih and himself, the men riding with him were mostly going to be arrested and serving high sentences for their crimes. They were straggler gangs who had tried to rob him or had came crawling on their knees begging to join. Zanui could care less about those pathetic men. If it were up to him, he'd give them a quick painful death by incineration, but he supposed it was easier for the Dai Li to take them off his hands.

Hoisting himself up onto his ride, Zanui steered the creature in the direction of his gang and slapped the reins down, jolting as the creature took off running. General Kenih was on his flank while a few men formed an arrow at the rear to protect from surprise attacks. They would ride through the night and strike before dawn, when the city was still in slumber. He couldn't help but smile as his dream was becoming reality.

' _Ready or not, Avatar, here I come.'_

 **XoXoXo**

I'm so sorry it took so long to get this chapter out! I really struggled with it and was not motivated for days, but I finally sat down and got it cranked out. Next chapter will be the confrontation! Hooray! Seriously, the next one will be out faster. Girl Scout's honor. (Well, I was a Brownie which is like a baby GS? Who knows, I just sold cookies out of the back of a van, damnit.)


	5. Illusion

**Welcome back to another chapter! We've finally come closer to an intense battle between Team Avatar and the Crimson Crusaders! Whoop whoop! In response to Reality Rejection Services – Why not worry about both? Can he really kill someone in order to save Katara? Like Roku said, he may have that new ability to remove someone's bending, but that doesn't mean they still can't be harmful or spread their hate and evil from behind a jail cell. Dun dun duuuuuun. Will he make the ultimate choice? Find out in a few chapters! Sorry for the delay, I've been struggling with motivation and work, but it's here now!**

 **XoXoXo**

"I don't think I've been that relaxed in a few years," Katara sighed happily as Team Avatar left the Palace spa. Saunas, personal massages, freshly painted nails and to top it off, a purifying mud bath that Toph seemed to enjoy especially. The poor attendant wasn't prepared for the old 'Slug-face' technique the earthbender had used years ago in the higher ring of the city.

"I think we all needed some relaxation after running around pretty much nonstop the past few years. I haven't been this relaxed since we went undercover in the Fire Nation and I taught those kids to dance and have fun." Aang smiled at the memory, mainly the one where he and Katara danced in front of everyone. Katara leaned up and kissed him on the cheek, fondly recalling the memory as well. Sokka gagged at the oogies before clasping his hands behind his head and overexaggerating his walk with high steps.

"I hope dinner is ready, I'm _starving_ ,"

"Sokka, all you ever do is eat. You'll turn into a walrus-whale at this rate," Katara teased as Toph and Aang snickered. Sokka just turned his head and stuck his tongue out at his sister but let it go. The attendant leading them was a fairly young and quiet girl, no more than 15, and was walking a few feet in front of them as she led them to the throne room for the evening meal. For the duration of the walk, she had barely said a word, keeping a nervous smile on her face as she escorted them around the Palace. As they approached the doors, she stopped and bowed, averting her eyes from Aang.

"E-enjoy your evening meal, Avatar and friends." She squeaked out before hurrying away to complete another task. Toph snickered as she crossed her arms over her chest, a sly grin on her face.

"Someone has a little _crush_ on the Avatar. You've got some serious competition, Sugar Queen." Sokka snorted as he watched Aang's expression slightly falter and Katara just plant her hands on her hips, brow raised.

"It's nothing to worry about, Toph, there's nothing wrong with a simple crush," Katara said nonchalantly. "Aang has multiple fangirl groups all over the nations. They're harmless,"

"Didn't your Acolytes start out like that? I'm pretty sure some of them had the hots for Twinkletoes here," Toph added in, already feeling Katara's irritation. Aang on the other hand had kept a steady heartrate and it momentarily spoiled Toph's fun.

"I appreciate their feelings, but Katara is the only woman I care about. I'm not interested in anyone else," Sokka and Toph gagged at the sickeningly sweet words and shuddered in disgust as the two shared an intimate kiss.

"Why do you have to do that in front of me?!" Sokka groaned as his skin crawled. Katara, with her arms wrapped around Aang, turned a murderous glare at her brother, cheeks puffing in annoyance.

"What about you and Suki? This is no different! You're just acting childish, Sokka."

"I'm your older brother, it's different when you have a younger sibling to protect…"

Breaking away from Aang, Katara walked over to her brother and threw her arms around him, squishing him in a big hug. Aang wiped away a tear at the strong emotion shared between the siblings. He glanced over at Toph who hesitated briefly before punching him hard in the arm.

"Aww, Sokka, you're such a caring big brother. What would I ever do without you?"

"Probably have been eaten by something large and hideous lurking beneath the ice of the South Pole." The two siblings released and Katara whacked him upside the head playfully and grabbed his sleeve before pulling him towards the dining hall.

"I'm sure I could've handled any scary monsters lurking beneath the waters just fine, Sokka. Now come on, I'm famished." The gang entered the massive hall and made their way towards an elegant dinner table covered with the finest jade tableware, matching table runners and decorative fabrics placed precisely over the intricately carved stone chairs. King Kuei was seated on his throne discussing matters with a Dai Li member, the two talking discreetly. Being the nosey person she was, Toph twisted her foot against the stone and listened in on their conversation through faint ground vibrations.

"Do you have any idea where they are headed next? If they make it into the city, they could kidnap dozens, if not more women from the city. I simply don't have enough men to cover every inch of this place," Kuei hissed to the Dai Li guard, his voice edged.

"Your Highness, I have men tracking the direction they went after Renjishu Valley and it seems they had a temporary camp set up. Tracks led around towards the forest and seem to be headed towards Ba Sing Se. I will have my best men follow them discreetly and stop them before they enter the city. The main gates have banned entry and exit until further notice. Residents have been informed to leave only for necessary items such as food. They will not make it past the lower ring."

"Toph? Is something wrong?" Aang asked her quietly, noticing her concentrating on the floor, unseeing eyes shut. With a motion, she instructed him to shift his foot and listen. Kicking off a shoe he did as told, immediately seeing everything in the large room, from Katara and Sokka walking towards the table to the chefs scurrying around the kitchen a few rooms over. It took a moment, as he wasn't as experienced to listen to such finite ground vibrations, but he soon tuned into the conversation between Kuei and the Dai Li member.

"What could they possibly want here?"

"With all of the information we've gathered, and this is an _educated guess_ , your Highness, but we believe he is after someone of high ranking within the cities. We aren't entirely sure,"

Aang's grey eyes opened slightly as he continued to listen to their private conversation. It felt wrong to do so, but if it was important information about Zanui, he needed to know as much as he could get.

"Aang, I don't think they're after a high ranking official." Toph spoke lowly, her unseeing eyes opening to stare blankly ahead. "I think they're after someone of more value, a high-level bender… they might be after –"

"You think they're after Katara? Toph that seems… why would they suddenly go after a _Master_ Waterbender? She could easily take them all down!"

"Think about it, Aang, if they're taking the most beautiful women, then it's possible Katara is a higher priced target. Who else could they be after? That Dai Li member isn't lying, they really don't know who they're after so they're taking every precaution. Especially if they think it's someone of higher ranking."

"Toph, say you're right, say that they _are_ after Katara, what would they do with her? We don't even know what their plan is."

"Aang, I hear a lot of things every single day and just from hearing about this guy, what little I know, he seems to be the power-hungry type that's after money. A _lot_ of money. My guess, and I hope I'm wrong about this, is that he's possibly selling the women off to some secret buyers. I'm not a hundred percent on this, so don't lose your head and blow this whole plan. I suggest we bring this up with King Kuei and figure something out," Toph grabbed Aang's ear roughly and twisted it hard to get her point across. " _Don't lose your cool or else I'll bend you into the next Nation, got it?_ " With a quickly agreeing Airbender, Toph released her grip before walking towards the King with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Oi, Kuei, I suggest you tell your Dai Li to collect better facts rather than feeding you false information." Toph swung her arm out and pointed directly to guard, instantly halting the private conversation. The guard stood tall with his arms clasped behind his back, his expression blank though his eyes seemed to be darting between the king and Toph.

"Whatever do you mean, Toph? How could you possibly know if he was lying? My agents have sworn their allegiance to me and have taken oath to never lie."

"Your Majesty, they're not after a high-ranking official; we have reason to suspect they're after a powerful bender. Toph has an idea that they're kidnapping the women to sell them to private buyers outside of the Earth Kingdom, but we have no solid evidence of that."

"Where did you…? Avatar, I was hoping you would be able to enjoy your dinner before it came to this conversation." Kuei sighed heavily as he heaved himself from his throne. "There was an incident last night with a village less than a day's travel from here called Renjishu Valley. Eleven women were captured, and the entire village was burned to the ground. There wasn't a single person left alive to say what happened, but it's pretty obvious who it was."

"So, what can we do? If this guy can take down an entire village, how are we supposed to go against him?" Sokka crossed his arms over his chest as he stared up at the king.

"We may not have another choice except to face him head on. If Toph and I are the ones he wants, then he'll learn really quick why it was a mistake. I won't allow another life to be taken because this sicko wants to add another woman to his collection." Katara spat out angrily, her fists clenching tightly at her side. Aang could feel the anger radiating off of her and mentally agreed. He wouldn't allow Zanui to take more lives in the pursuit of adding women to his collection. And if Zanui wanted Katara, he'd have to go through him and all of his past lives in the Avatar State.

"I'm with Sugar Queen; we know he's coming to Ba Sing Se in pursuit of a powerful bender, and as far as I know and see, that would be either Katara or I. I ain't exactly 'lady-like' so it's gotta be her. Besides, I would just metalbend out of any shackles I was put into."

King Kuei glanced over to the Dai Li member and motioned slightly for him to speak. Moving forward, the man clasped his hands behind his back and stared with authority at Team Avatar.

"I have my men stationed all over the city, mainly concentrated on the lower rings. The main gates have been sealed off and no citizen is allowed to leave, and no refugee or vender will be allowed to -"

"No, wait a minute!" Everyone turned to look at Sokka, brows raised. "Hear me out on this. It'll obviously be a trap if the city is suddenly on lockdown, right? So, keep everything running smoothly and lessen the amount of guards in the lower rings. If he's smart, he'll try to blend in with other people. I doubt he wants to make a huge scene in a large city that's crawling with Dai Li."

"That's….actually a good idea," King Kuei rolled the idea around inside his head, trying to find a fault. "Pactu, I want you to do as he says."

"Your Highness, is that really wise? Maybe we should consult General –"

"Sokka helped destroy Fire Nation blimps during the 100 Year War, he's more than capable of creating a tactical plan. Grab General Tien Min and convene in the war room within the hour. Grab every high-ranking official within the palace and send word to Lord Zuko immediately. I want the details finished by midnight tonight!" Kuei demanded with authority to Pactu, his orders final. Pactu nodded before vanishing into the shadows without a sound. Turning back to the teens, Kuei slightly softened his expression before snapping his fingers. Doors that lined the western side of the Throne Room suddenly burst open as servants filed out, carrying steaming trays of food.

"I know it may not be a good time to eat with the news you just heard, but if we are to face Zanui in the morning, we need to keep our strength up. Please, enjoy the food while I prepare everything for the meeting." Giving a slight bow, King Kuei stepped down from the throne and briskly walked away, leaving just the servants and Team Avatar.

"He's right; if we're facing him in the morning, we need to eat. Even if it doesn't sound appealing right now," Katara walked towards the table and took a seat randomly, a plate of steaming vegetables set in front of her moments after. The other three followed suit, all emotion drained from their faces.

It was a silent dinner apart from the occasional request of a certain dish or asking for another glass of water from one of the servants standing by. Sokka gladly tore into some meat, chunks of goose-duck spraying in every direction over the table. Aang carefully flicked a particularly medium sized chunk away from his steamed tofu and vegetables, grimacing at the flesh. Toph's manners were no better as she ripped her food apart as well. Though, most of her flying chunks landed on or near Sokka who barely seemed to notice. Katara merely pushed the remnants of her food around her plate, mind elsewhere at the moment.

' _If he's here for me, I don't want to get the others involved. If I just give myself up, maybe they'll leave the rest of the town alone… I can handle them myself. But I know Aang will go into the Avatar State if he attacks us…argh I can't handle this right now!'_

"I'm going to excuse myself for the rest of dinner. Please let me know when the meeting is about to begin." Aang went to follow but Sokka grabbed his arm and shook his head. She needed to be alone for a while. Settling back down into his seat, the airbender took a few more bites of his tofu before reaching for an egg custard tart. Of course, he wanted to go after her, to comfort her, but he also knew what she was thinking. Having grown so close to Katara, he could practically read her mind at times and vice versa. Most likely she was thinking of a way to surrender herself without anyone else getting harmed. But at this point, it was unavoidable. Zanui was a psychotic maniac who had no qualms about taking innocent lives or turning lives upside down. Roku's advice lingered in the back of his mind and all it did was give Aang a headache as his beliefs butted against his previous life's advice.

It seemed like an eternity before an advisor came to gather Team Avatar. Sokka had dozed off after gorging himself on the various plates of meat and Toph had already begun digging for boogers and flicking them towards the sleeping Sokka. Aang had been pacing back and forth anxiously, waiting for Katara to come back.

"Has anyone seen Katara? She hasn't come back in,"

"Relax, Twinkletoes, she's out in the garden. Her form is a bit fuzzy, but I'd know it anywhere. Go get her, I'll get Snoozles here to the meeting."

Aang took off without a second glance, hurrying towards the massive garden behind the Throne Room. There were a few servants bustling through the halls as he passed through the massive doors, some startling at the sudden swinging of the heavy threshold. He shouted a brief apology before picking up his pace. She had been gone over twenty minutes and his nerves were getting the better of him. If Katara was the target, it was better if someone was with her at all times.

Pushing through the last door, Aang searched the area. The skies were beginning to darken as day turned to night. Stars heavily littered the heavens, shining brightly in the darkness. A movement caught his eye and he turned towards it. Light reflecting off of water dancing gracefully through the air illuminated a figure standing by a pond. Stepping lightly against the pure white sands, Aang made his way over, his eyes never leaving the dancing water. It was beautiful the way it floated through the air, as weightless as air itself. The few clouds in the sky shifted away, slowly to reveal a nearly full moon bathing everything in the garden in a nearly bright light. Katara stood at the edge of an elaborate koi pond, her toes dug into the pure sands around her as she bended the water with ease. Long brown locks flowed freely down her back, the ends teasing at her hipline. In the moonlight she looked breathtakingly beautiful, the power flowing in to her, breathing an essence of life. Aang could stare at her all night, watching her lovingly in her almost raw state of bending, but urgent matters lay ahead.

"Katara, they're about to start the meeting… are you okay?" He spoke softly, as to not startle her. The water movements slowed down before gently being absorbed back in to the pond, not even a ripple flowing across the surface. She took a deep breath before wiping at her face, slim fingers trailing beneath her eyes to remove the tears. Aang felt his heart ache and felt his body moving on its own, quickly closing the distance between them as his arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her against his chest. Katara placed her hands on his arms and leaned back, her head coming to rest against his collarbone. For a few minutes, there was silence, allowing their emotions to transfer between each other wordlessly.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared," Katara spoke nearly inaudibly. "I…I've thought it over, Aang, and if it comes down to it…"

"I know, Katara, you don't want anyone else to be hurt again. I promise you, as long as I'm here, that won't happen. I won't let him take you away from me. He won't leave Ba Sing Se, I'll make sure of it."

"What happens if you have no other choice? Will you be able to take his life so easily?" Aang bit his lip, wanting so bad to disagree wholeheartedly and defend his monk ways. But what if he really _didn't_ have a choice? Roku's words pushed to the forefront of his mind and instead of pushing it away, he allowed it to resonate through his head.

 _ **"**_ _ **Aang, at some point in your life, you**_ _will_ _ **have to make the ultimate decision on whether that person will continue to be a threat to the people. Your ability to remove bending abilities is indeed a great power, but that does not remove the person from still being a threat if left unattended. They can still spread their corruptions across the nations without so much as lifting a finger to do so from behind a jail cell. This is your decision to make, Aang, but know that with your decisions, there will be dire consequences."**_

"I'll know when the time comes, whether or not he'll continue to be a threat if left alive. But I will try everything in my power to avoid taking his life, even if it may cause trouble in the future."

Katara shifted in his arms and he loosened his grip as she turned to face him. Piercing blue eyes were slightly red from crying, but behind that was the fierce determination that shone through when the waterbender had made up her mind.

"I know it's not something you ever wanted to do, Aang, but he could still be a threat to not only us, but to more women and families. Ultimately, it's your decision, and I stand behind whatever choice you make one hundred perfect." The gap between them closed as their lips locked with such emotion that both of them shed tears. Aang took a shaky breath as they broke apart, wiping his face with the back of his hand. Katara swiped hers away as well, the tracks they left visible in the moonlight.

"The others are waiting for us in the War room to go over a plan for the morning, we should head back now." The two locked hands and weaved their way back through the garden sands, heading back inside for a long night of planning and preparing. Once back inside, a servant quickly showed them the way to the War Room, a loud argument could be heard through the massive doors. With a quick bow, the servant backed away before taking off, attending to other matters. Aang and Katara shared a quick look of concern before pushing the doors open, the yelling becoming deafening.

"And what would a _kid_ know about war?! You've barely experienced being alive, yet alone _war_! So, I suggest you go sit back down in the corner and behave yourself."

" I helped end the 100 Year War with the _Avatar_ and nearly lost my life to help save the world! So yeah, I _do_ know quite a bit about wars! I've even helped train the men of my village to be battle ready!"

Sokka and General Fu Tauon were mere inches apart, glowering at each other as they continued arguing. General Tien Min was showing King Kuei a map of the kingdom, pointing out possible entry and escape routes throughout the lower rings of the city. Toph, who was sitting down in a corner just listening to everything, suddenly leaped up and slammed her foot into the ground and twisted. The floor beneath Sokka and Fu Tauon cracked before shooting the two in separate directions.

"I uh... guess that's one way to stop an argument?" Aang laughed nervously as he rubbed the back of his head. Katara smacked a hand to her forehead in frustration before stomping over to Sokka and dragging him upright by his ear.

"Seriously, Sokka, this is an important meeting and you're arguing like a child!" Katara chastised as Sokka pulled away and rubbed his ear angrily.

"It's not my fault that rockhead underestimates my planning skills! Seriously, Katara, you about ripped my ear off, woman." A twist of his ear caused Sokka to grumble angrily before falling silent, his eyes still sending daggers towards the General. Aang finished pulling the General up before turning his attention towards King Kuei and General Tien Min.

"Has anything been decided yet?"

"We're just now going over the possible entrances and exits of the city. Mainly, there's just one way in and out, but the Dai Li have hidden tunnel systems throughout the city. But they would have to know exactly where they are or be a powerful Earthbender to find them. But our guess is they'll try to come in through the front door in disguise as vendors or refugees."

"I wonder if that's how they got into the last village, using disguises as vendors or possibly even visitors to slip past the guards." Katara pondered as she moved over to see the map more clearly. Sokka studied the parchment with a hand to his chin, stroking the one beard hair he had growing. His mind clicked with an idea as his eyes widened with excitement.

"Ooh, ooh!"

"Do grace us with your magnificent plan, Sokka," Toph leaned forward in her chair, an excited grin on her face as she cracked her knuckles in anticipation.

"Gather round, my friends, and prepare to be amazed!"

 **XoXoXo**

Zanui kept the filthy worn straw hat pulled tight over his face as he and some of his men were herded towards the main gates to Ba Sing Se. A sick man stumbled into him and he shot a nasty look to the man who shrank back, apologizing profusely before swaying dangerously on his feet. With a growl, the Firebender turned his gaze forward. It was early in the morning, before dawn had even broke, yet there were so many refugees seeking to enter the city for better opportunities and shelter. Guards guided the people into lines, turning sick and dying people away immediately. A short distance away were carts upon carts of confiscated items, everything from food to personal items and weapons were thrown haphazardly into them. There was even a small cart of cabbages seized from a poor older man who promptly fell to his knees as a Platypus-bear devoured his precious cargo.

"Boss, they're checking identifications. We've got the fake ones, but a handful of men are ready to cause a distraction if they question us too much." General Kenih whispered into his ear before promptly moving away to a different part of the crowd to avoid suspicion. Zanui couldn't help the small smirk that twitched at his lips. He was lucky to have Kenih as his right-hand man. The man had a knack for devising plans that were both sneaky and severe. All he had to do was nod slightly and the men would launch into a riot, distracting all of the guards and giving him and the small handful of men to slip into the city practically unnoticed. On the other hand, it would be less suspicious if they entered the formal way instead of causing the port of entry to go into lockdown. His actual crew was waiting just outside of the Earth Kingdom, near the Serpent's Path, to make their getaway. Ba Sing Se had very few naval ships, seeing as they're an Earthbending Nation, but what few ships they did have, were posted further South-East closer to the vast ocean. Zanui had noticed a few unmarked Naval ships floating around in the bay, but they seemed to be restocking supplies before sailing out once more. He hoped him and his team would be in and out of Ba Sing Se before King Kuei could gather his troops.

"All refugees seeking entry into the city must show valid ID! If you have no identification papers, you will be denied entry into Ba Sing Se!" A guard boomed over the talkative crowd, a hushed silence falling over the massive crowd. "Anyone who has identification step to the left lines and present it to the guards! If you are permitted entrance, you will be taken by train to the lower rings of the city. At that point, it is up to you to seek shelter and food, but you may apply for a request to get assistance from the city which will take up to a year to be processed."

Some in the crowd began to protest loudly, complaining at the lack of assistance for people in need. Some of Zanui's men joined in, playing the part of desperate refugees perfectly. Guards immediately swooped in and removed the rowdy people, restoring the peace within minutes. Zanui watched with hidden amusement as some of the lower scum of his group were hauled away, their struggling in the arms of the guards useless. Some even found his eyes and silently begged for help. With a tiny shrug, Zanui felt his lips twitch in glee as the men were removed from sight.

"Show me your identification papers!" Guards yelled as they forcefully yanked them from people's hands, scrutinizing every inch of the paper. If they were satisfied the papers weren't faked, they would toss them back towards the owner. If they weren't, they shredded them in front of the person before signaling for a guard to remove them from the line. A few people left screaming and flailing while others were silently walked away, their heads down in shame.

Zanui held his out even before the guard reached him, lifting his head slightly to watch the burly man snatch it from his grasp. The man was shorter than him, by a good few inches at least, and definitely was a higher-ranking officer judging by his extended belly. The guard's eyes flickered back and forth between the paper and Zanui's face, eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"And what business do you have here, Mr. … Cheng, is it?"

"Ying Sum Cheng, sir, and I'm here to see my ailing grandmother. Poor thing hasn't been in very good health recently, sir, and I wish to see her once more before she passes on." Zanui said softly, putting on the act of a grieving grandchild. The guard read his face carefully, watching for any emotional changes but there were none, just sadness. Slapping the papers back into Zanui's hand, the guard softened his face as he turned away towards the next person in line.

"Sorry to hear that son, hopefully you can see her in time. Enjoy Ba Sing Se."

"Thank you very much, sir, you have yourself a good day now."

The guard grunted in response before moving to the next person in line, violently ripping the papers in half after finding a fault. The young scruffy looking man behind Zanui was suddenly dragged away by two guards, his cries of mercy ringing loud. Zanui felt excitement building up in his chest; he was one step closer to finding his prized possession. Nothing was going to get in his way, not even the Avatar.

 **XoXoXo**

"Sokka, are you sure this is even going to work? He could see right through this!" Aang said nervously as he took in his appearance in the large mirror brought in by some servants to the War Room. His Air Nomad robes had been switched out for dirty and torn Earthbender vendor clothing kindly found by Sokka; Aang didn't even want to know how or where he got them from. A makeshift white wig covered his arrow tattoo and was pulled low over his face, slightly concealing his gray eyes while a matching mustache donned his upper lip. Aang grunted as he scratched his 'hair' for the fifth time since putting it on. Appa's shedding was good for at least one thing every now and then.

"Is the great Avatar doubting my ideas? Relax, there's no way you'll be recognized. Even the smell is right!"

"I don't doubt your plans, Sokka, but this enemy is on a whole new level from what we've faced before. If something goes wrong…" Katara chewed on her lip as she glanced between her brother and Aang, arms wrapped tightly around her waist. "People could get hurt or killed if we can't capture him fast enough. Even with the Dai Lee, he could have numerous men hiding in the shadows watching."

"That's where I come in, Sugar Queen." Toph announced as she entered the room with a loud kick to the heavy metal doors. Her normal Earthbending clothes were covered with spiked metal armor, a matching metal hat shielding most of her face from view. Nearly every inch of her body was protected with the thick metal, save for her feet of course, and she moved silently across the floors. "I'll be able to sense them long before they notice me. If they do," Toph cracked her knuckles menacingly. "They'll get a taste of the greatest Earth and Metal bender of all time!"

Katara opened her mouth to argue but it died on her tongue, a silent sigh escaping her lips instead. The possibilities of what could go wrong kept playing through her mind, tormenting her thoughts and sending worry pulsing through her veins. They were all strong, there was no doubt about that, but without knowing key facts about Zanui it was like wandering blindly through badger-mole tunnels. Aang took the few short steps to her and cupped her cheek lovingly, tilting her head up.

"Katara, I know it seems like we're going into this blindly, but we don't really have another choice. It's too risky to face him head-on without knowing his full abilities. Don't worry, I'll be close by to protect you. I promise nothing will happen to you." Katara clasped her hand over his and rested her forehead against his, locking eyes.

"I know you will, Aang, thank you. I really think Appa needs a bath after all of this, you really don't smell good." Katara scrunched her face as the full smell of Appa hit her, leaning back and pinching the bridge of her nose closed. Aang gave a cheeky grin before grabbing her waist and pulling her tight against him, rubbing his 'mustache' all over her face as she squealed loudly.

"If you're done making my sister smell like Appa, who really does need a bath, Aang, we need to get a move on; It's possible he's been already gotten through the main checkpoint and making his way into the city."

"As much as we all want to smell like flying bison, Sokka's right. It'll take us some time to get down to the lower ring and get set up, even with the Dai Lee tunnels. We better get going." Toph added, her tone serious. The tension hung heavily in the air as the group made their way through the Palace towards one of the main Dai Lee tunnels nestled near the King's quarters. A Dai Lee member appeared from the shadows ahead of them and with a quick glance slammed his foot into the ground and pulled back with his hands. A large square of the flooring cracked down the center before silently sliding in half, revealing a hidden hatch. Sokka led the way and turned the large wheel on top, the lid opening with a slight groan. Once he was a good distance down the metal ladder, Toph followed suit next, ignoring the ladder rungs and instead sliding straight down the side rails. A thud was heard as Sokka became a landing cushion for Toph, the sound echoing back towards the surface. Aang clenched Katara's hand tighter before motioning for her to go next. He helped her onto the ladder before watching her descend into the darkness. One he was sure she was out of the way, he looked at the Dai Lee member and gave a tight nod before Airbending his way into the darkness. The lid slowly closed and the gears within clicked as they locked once more, signaling no return for Team Avatar.

"Well," Aang said quietly as he bended flames from his right hand to luminate the dark tunnel. His face was set in a stony grimace as he looked at his friends, searching their eyes for lost nerves. Only determination and fearlessness shone through their eyes as they stared back; they were ready, no matter the outcome.

"Let's go finish this once and for all."

 **XoXoXoXo**

 **Sorry for the delay, I lost motivation for months, plus work, and I finally pushed and got it out. I was going to do the battle scene in this chapter, but it would have been way too long and taken too much time to complete. Enjoy!**


	6. Captured Notice Temp

**Captured will have chapters rewritten and replaced, therefore I will be pulling the story down temporarily. Please be patient while I make changes to correct issues pointed out.**

 **Thanks!**


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